33 comments:

The back story to Pink Slip webisode is almost as interesting as the webby itself. I had been writing 2 separate scripts. The first was about a fashionista gal named Suzie and her yuppie friends who used each other for their corporate benefits....the second about a guy named, Max, and unemployed actor who couldn't find affordable housing in NYC, so he pretended to be a senior citizen in order to qualify for government funded senior housing. When the economy tanked, I thought nobody would want to see a video about yuppies and didn't know what to do with it. Then a dear friend was pink slipped and invited me to come along with her to one of Edwin DuTerte's Pink Slip Mixer parties....when I saw all of the people who attended and the media attention....a light bulb lit up....this was the story of the century. I went home and began to combine Suzie's script with that of Max's into a romantic comedy for tough economic times. Around this time, my husband was producing another webseries and I asked the director if I could do costumes or sets. She didn't want anyone doing either and I was pissed at her and at my husband. So pissed, that I decided to do my own webseries even though I was totally clueless about how to proceed. I don't have a film degree or background. I was a theatre major in college and was required to put 40 hours in the shop painting sets...the only set building I'd ever done was in high school for Senior Sing when I took brown paper wrapping and painted a circus scene on it for a backdrop....I'll continue with some more behind the scenes stuff later.

So this is a comment on a post. A post is the actual article/video above. One way to get pple interested in watching your series is to write an article about the series. For example, you could talk about a cast member........or maybe give the story so far........or just be creative........ u can even interview urself if u want......or better, have Tachyfin do the interview:):):)

Most assuredly, Tachyfin is the only interviewer I'd ever allow to interview moi. So kiddies, here's the scoop. I sat down with Tachyfin the other day, actually he was swimming while I sat down. The following is the interview:

Tachyfin: glug, glug, glug! (Translation=So Muriel, name two people who inspired you to write Pink Slip.)

Muriel: Wll, Tachyfin, I'd like to say thank you to my mom & dad, but actually, they never inspired me, except mom did love my drawings. I'd have o say the first person who inspired me to write Pink Slip was my husband who got me so angry one day, I did it to spite him. And the second person would be....hmmm, this is hard, because it's actually a second & a 3rd person.

Tachyfin: Okay, do tell!

Muriel: Well, Tachyfin, the second person to inspire me was a female friend who would be too embarrassed if I named her, but suffice it to say, she was Pink Slipped and asked me to go to a Pink Slip party with her....and I did, just to get out and give her support. The third person was Edwin Duterte who runs the Pink Slip Mixer Parties and he amazed me when he organized the party and all of these unemployed folk who had just been pink slipped were there and so were all of the media. I knew this was the storyline of the moment and I also wanted to help give people who were probably depressed about their job loss, a few laughs.

Muriel: Tachyfin is very talented that way...but sometimes he needs a bit of encouragement. Right? Dear Fishy friend..do tell?

Tachyfin: (Glug) (Glug)....uh do you suppose you have any salted fish food for me in your handbag..is that a designer bag...oooh...can you get me one...for my gal pal?

Muriel: Yes of course Tachyfin I have that salted fish food for you...in my handbag...but don't eat too much of it..you don't want to harden your arteries...uh do fish have arteries? Yes...of course you must...or maybe not...maybe it's a gill thing...but Tachyfin...I'm not sure about that designer handbag thing...I mean it's a trifle expensive to put in the water....

Tachyfin: Glub Glub...mwaaaaaaaah!

Muriel: Oh please don't cry...Tachyfin....I'll see if Suzie can get one for you.

Uh, oh, dear modelmotion and Tachyfin, what bad thing did I say to get myself removed...??? Oops, you'd better not tell me because then you might get removed too. So sorry, if I said something wrong or offensive.

Hmmm, for some reason, the pics did not come up....typo? wrong url? Tachyfin, whatever do you think went wrong?Oh, well, guys, if you want to view the pics you can see them on the Web Series Today Fan Page on FB....just a click away.

Muriel: Tachyfin, thanks for inviting me to do a follow up interview. What exactly would you like to know about Pink Slip?

Tachyfin: Well, actually, Muriel (glub, glub) I enjoyed those snacks you were feeding me. Do you have more?

Muriel: Absolutely. Here, my fave fishy boy.

Tachyfin: Glub, glub, glub. Thanks, M. Burp. Excuse me, please. Now as I was saying, or at least wanted to say, since you don't have a background in film, how did you proceed?

Muriel: Well, you know the saying, "If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage".....so I began with the script, completing Pink Slip - Parts 1 & 2.

Tachyfin: Where did you study screenwriting?

Muriel: I didn't! Oh, does it show? It does, doesn't it....but what the heck, this is just between you and I or is it you and me....whatever! I just sat at the computer and typed and wrote until I was finished.

Tachyfin: Isn't there a specific format (glub, glub) screenwriters are supposed to follow?

Muriel: Could be....but as the saying goes, "Ignorance is bliss."

Tachyfin: Glub, glub, so does that mean you think you are a happy ignoramus?

Muriel: Tachyfin! Shame on you. That's just plain rude & I know your mama raised you with better manners....oh, I get it.....you just want more fish food, huh?

Tachyfin: Yup!

Muriel: Okay, here. Now can we be serious? I think many people want to write or say they are writers, but when I was an actress I learned that the actor is the one who acts.....so, I guess the writer is the one who writes....and that's me.

Tachyfin: Good point. However, how did you know where to begin?

Muriel: I didn't. I just sat there and let my characters rule the roost or the page....basically, they took me over....and said whatever they wanted to and then if I didn't like what they said, I deleted it or rewrote it.

Tachyfin: So you began with the characters? How did you know who they were.

Muriel: Oh, Tachyfin. That's way too much of an intellectual question for me.....I just let it all happen.....let it all hang out as they say.

Tachyfin: But that could be (glub, glub) dangerous couldn't it? Sort of like the inmates running the asylum?

Muriel: Yes, it has been,Tachyfin. You're not thirsty are you...??? You do have enough water, right?

Tachyfin: I wasn't talking about that sort of drink.

Muriel: Really, you mean a fishtini? You know like a martini with fish flavoing?

Tachyfin: I'm all smiles and impressed that you know about fishtinis....but we'll save that for later....I want to know what happened after you finished the script?

Muriel: Well, after I finished the script I put up ads on JeffGund's InfoList.com a great place to find a wonderful crew. I learned about this from my friend Joycelyne Lew, who plays Ginger Lee in part 3 of Pink Slip....and I also used Mandy.com....and then all of the responses came pouring in....hundreds, if not thousands. At first I tried to view all of the reels and answer each posting....then I ditched that quickly enough and began to interview those that intrigued me....but truthfully, nobody stood out.

Tachyfin: So what did you do then? Uh, Muriel, could I please have some fish food?

Muriel: Oh, of course. Here!

Tachyfin: (glub, glub) Thanks, Muriel. As I was saying, what did you do then?

Muriel: Then another friend came to the rescue....big time....he told me about his friend, a guy named Bernie Gewissler.

Tachyfin: Gew who?

Muriel: Gewissler. Bernie Gewissler, no producer should be without him. When I first met Bernie, he had just one thing on his reel.

Tachyfin: Oh, reely? I think I made a joke, a play on words...okay, the joke was fishy, if I say so myself.

Muriel: Yes, all that Bernie had on his reel was "Bad Date Betty" a webisode I've come to love, but mostly because I get to hear Bernie's voice say, ".....and Action!" at the beginning of the webby. I also think the webisode is fun. However, I digress. So since Bernie was inexperienced relatively, and I was inexperienced, totally, I thought we'd be a bad combo.....boy was I ever wrong.

Tachyfin: How so?

Muriel: Bernie called a couple of times a week and offered to help me with everything and anything gratis....free....he made himself so darn helpful, that I turned to my husband and said, "Why am I continuing to interview all of these other people, this guy, this Bernie Gewissler is terrific and I want him around. So I hired him as my line producer and as my A. D. Bernie did everything....every aspect....he pulled a great, but inexpensive crew together...which eventually led me to finding Michael Adam Hamilton as Max/Aunt Florrie, my handsome leading man.

Tachyfin: So then you had everyone that you needed?

Muriel: No, I still needed a great DP. All of the DP's who submitted or who Bernie submitted shot dark, darker and darkest and none had comedy on their reels. Finally, when I was about to give up and just take whoever, I got a reel in Spanish that had the exact look I wanted....and I had found my DP....or at least I had for the first episode. His name, Benji Lopez.

Tachyfin: So then you were ready to roll?

Muriel: Not really yet. We had to cast it. For that I turned to my friend and wonderful casting director Tige Charity.

However, I have an appointment now....so we'll have to discuss that later. Ta, ta, Tachyfin.

Tachyfin: That girl, she's always in such a hurry....guess I'll have to finish this fishtini all by myself (glub, glub). "Till next time, Muriel

Tachyfin: Thank you model motion. If I say so myself, I'm kinda kool, as an interviewer...I hope you stay tuned in for my latest interview with Muriel Campbell of Pink Slip. She's been sick with a tummy flu but is now all better. Uh, model motion, can I have some fish food, please? I promise to share my new interview with you if you feed me.

Muriel: Hi Tachyfin...It's me your old friend Muriel,and I know I've been bad about giving you the rest of the interview....so much going on...but, if I bribe you with another fishtini or two will you forgive me?

Tachyfin: Humph! You think I'm a cheap date or what? I need more than a fishtini....I'll have some of that expensive shrimptagne or maybe a martuna with an olive...yes that's it, I want a martuna with an olive.

Muriel: Okay, Waiter,please one martuna with an olive for my fishy friend and I'll just have a glass of water.

Tachyfin: Water? Why would you do that?

Muriel: I never drink and dive....I mean...well you know what I mean...it isn't easy doing an underwater interview you know...I don't have gills.

Tachyfin: You're mad at me? Aren't you?

Muriel: No! Yes!I'm mad....but not at you....at me....because I want to talk to you and then something comes up and I get busy....and then when I see you I have to rush away.

Tachyfin: You love me? You love me!

Muriel: Yes, yes, I love you....but that's besides the point...well it is the point...yes, I love you Tachyfin....but I'm still in a rush...so ask me a question so we can start this thing and then maybe we'll have time to chit chat.

Tachyfin: Oh, okay. When we spoke last you told me your friend Tige Charity was Casting Director for "Pink Slip"....how did you find her?

Muriel: Oh, Tige Charity is a great friend of mine....a wonderfully beautiful woman of kind heart and spirit and very talented too.....and she happens to run C&C Casting.

Tachyfin: Where was the casting session held?

Muriel: At Cazt....and we saw hundreds of people after Ms. Charity had combed through thousands of submissions...the funny thing was that nobody was really my Max.....Finally, I settled on one young man and wasn't sure who would be Suzie, either Kaitlin Snyder who I did cast or another woman. I wanted to view their tape of the audition at home online....and here is the beauty of casting online....because the other young woman, before I saw Kaitlin Snyder online had the part in my mind because she had a lot of experience, had done almost every TV show and was quite beautiful, but then when I saw Kaitlin on camera, she had something that none of the others had....she had a high likeability factor, not to mention those huge beautiful eyes and that great smile.....she was someone who would steal Max's heart away. I settled on a male actor for Max and we shot parts 1 and 2 but it didn't work and we had to do reshoots and recast his role.....and Max or Michael Adam Hamilton, came to this part in an unusual way....through Bernie Gewissler, because Bernie had hired Michael as part of the crew and he was my 1st A.D. Michael asked me one day as we walked to have lunch with the crew why he hadn't been called to read and I asked to see his headshot and it didn't look at all like him...he's sooo good looking and fun and the headshot he had made him look mean and scary....and Michael is not at all mean and scary looking...I told him to keep that shot for the bad guy roles and get new head shots and he asked if he could read for Max and of course I said yes and he auditioned and he was wonderful.....so you see all good things really did come through Bernie Gewissler.

Tachyfin: I understand what you mean....oh this martuna is going to my head.....and oh, look at the time....I have a hot date...with a mermaid...Don't call me, I'll call you....I hope I'll be very busy with her. Wink wink.

Muriel: No sweetie..you're not bad....you're truthful....honest...direct but I understand.....you didn't want to stereotype your friend.

Tachyfin: Mwaaaaaaaaaaah!

Muriel: Tachyfin please don't cry...Waiter...oh waiter...can you please bring us on of those wonderful fin and tonics? Thanks...I'll fix you up in no time Tachyfin...oh thanks waiter...go ahead drink it up....c'mon!

Tachyfin: glub glub....whoa....that was strong...that fin and tonic...woweee...can I have another?

Muriel: Of course: Waiter can you bring another fin and tonic to my friend Tachyfin. Tank you. You get the joke right...tank you...

Tachyfin: Yes I get the joke...I'm just a bit high strung today....so tell me what you've been up to lately.

Muriel: Well we just put up Pink Slip - Part 11 - The Buzzzzzzzzzz this week.....and I've just been recovering from a broken knee and another bad cold...but feel sooo much better now...and lots of things are happening.

Tachyfin: Like what? How did you break your knee?

Muriel: Well I tripped during pre-production for Pink Slip - Part 10 - Screwed...when the lights went out and there was something on the floor that had not been there all day and nobody knew where it came from...just one of those things...that's why I've been away. Recovering from a broken knee....walking a bit now...but more physical therapy to go for.

Tachyfin: Waiter please bring Muriel two fishtinis with an olive....or is that an onion?

Muriel: An olive thank you!

Tachyfin: I've always wanted to do that: "Waiter the lady will have a fishtini with an olive but I'll have a fishtini with an onion...ust like in those old Hollywood black and white films.

Muriel: Oh Tachyfin...so have I....well we seem to have a lot in common. Guess what...I want to share the secret to Pink Slip.....it's being shot backwards this season...backiwards...because our leading lady is getting married and can't always be there...so we shot the last kiss first and then we went backwards...just in case....

Tachyfin: In case of what/

Muriel: In case of a whole school of fish...you do know how that happens right...I don't want to be the one to inform you of it....your mom wouldn't like that...you do know right?

Tachyfin: Silly...my dad told me about that stuff a long time ago. So what is the latest episode about...and what's the scoop?

Muriel: Uh oh....I promised to give the bees on Web Star Buzzz on FB the scoop...but I could give you the skinny...here goes...Max..as you know by now has been caught pretending to be his Aunt Florrie to keep her $105.00 apartment....and he and Joey (Jason Ellefson) have been sentenced to Community Service and Max is homeless....and.......

Tachyfin: Hold it...I thought this was going to be a comedy!

Muriel: Well it is still a comedy....but with dramatic undertones...or is that undertow?

Tachyfin: No undertow is for me...when I swim in the ocean...you made a boo boo.

Muriel: So I did...so I did...but it's hard to tell Max's story backwards...but also I don't want to give it away...but I promise you it will still be as zany as we are....I have to run now..because my hubby just came home with a pizza...so air kiss...oops sorry....water kiss...glub glub. Love you. See you soon.

Muriel: Oh, yes, everyone please like Tachyfin on FB and then we won't have to call him Lonelyfish Tachyfin any more because he won't be lonely...he'll have so many friends to talk with. Hi Tachyfin, I'll bet you though I wouldn't come back for another interview....did you?

Tachyfin: Mwaaah! No I didn't...you put up the final episode of Pink Slip - Part 13 - Red Carpet and I thought you were gone....I just swam out as far as I could and cried. Mwaaah!

Muriel: Oh, please don't cry Lonelyfish Tachyfin...I stopped by to have a fin and tonic with you...unless of course you prefer a fishtini...which do you prefer today?

Tachyfin: Waiter, the lady will have a martuna, but I'll have a fin and tonic. I was afraid you wouldn't stop by and I also thought you'd be lonely...What are you doing now that you aren't shooting Pink Slip?

Muriel: I'm busy up to my gills...I mean busy up to my ears promoting the Web Series that my husband did a while back that never was promoted and which I was not invited to work on to do production design....remember that one....I told you about the fight we had and how that led me to write Pink Slip.

Tachyfin: Yes, I remember...what was it called....???

Muriel: It's called "Inconceivable Housewives" about a group of women who can't conceive a kid and all they want is that kid....but that's for another day....right now, I just want to gaze into your eyes and sip this drink slowly....oooooh, it's going to my head.....I'm feeling just a little bit in love....with you....what will my husband say?

Tachyfin: He'd say "Snap out of it",,,,duh, don't you realize I'm a fish?

Muriel: Yes, I do....but you're so cute and you never judge me and love it when I'm silly.....he might get jealous...even though you are my fish friend....Will you still love me now that I've finished Pink Slip?

Tachyfin: Yes, of course I will...but I have a question....did Suzie end up with Max?

Muriel: I can't tell you that....you know I can't give away the ending....let's just say that since it's a Red Carpet party...many people are drinking martunas....and when you have a buzzzzz as in Web Star Buzzzz you never know where you may end up....after all look what happened to Max in Pink Slip - The Buzzzzzzzzzz. LOL! I've got to buzz off but promise to return.